Reconciling Personal Values with Public Service Ethics
Disclaimer: The summaries and interpretations provided on this page are unofficial and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by the Canada School of Public Service (CSPS).
Summary
- Dr. Ian Stedman, a visiting scholar at the Canada School of Public Service and professor at York University, presents on workplace values and ethics in the Canadian federal government
- The session addresses how public servants can navigate emerging tensions and reconcile personal views with professional expectations, particularly around core principles like neutrality and loyalty
- Stedman brings both academic and practical experience, having worked as an advisor in Ontario’s Office of the Integrity Commissioner for five years
- The presentation situates current discussions within historical context, showing that conversations about public service values and ethics have been ongoing for decades
- The Kernaghan Report from 1996 criticized most public organizations for lacking coherent, comprehensive, and easily comprehensible ethics regimes
- The Tate Report from late 1996 acknowledged the need to balance upward accountability to the political process with downward accountability to citizens, customers, and stakeholders
- Multiple reports over the years have attempted to address confusion around core public service values and reframe approaches to values-based governance
- The Treasury Board later expanded focus to include ministers and senior officials, not just public servants, in ethics discussions
- Academic debates continued into 2007 about whether core values discussions were achieving their intended effectiveness
- The Deputy Minister’s report on values and ethics amplified voices of dissent and disagreement rather than burying negative feedback, signaling good faith efforts at transparency
- Approximately 1400 people registered for this session, indicating significant interest in the topic among federal public servants
- New voices are emerging in the federal public service through larger numbers of advocacy and support groups becoming more visible
- These groups are calling for greater transparency about how systems work to build and maintain trust in institutions and each other
- The goal is to make values and ethics useful rather than performative or harmfully weaponized
- The Deputy Minister’s report identifies three major challenges facing the public service: technology implementation, double standards in accountability, and managing increased diversity
- Technology presents risks of using biased retrospective data to make forward-looking decisions without proper consideration of public interest
- Many public servants perceive double standards in who is held accountable for following the values and ethics framework
- The federal public service is more diverse than ever before, but entrenched structures and processes still need to be challenged despite the Call to Action
- The pathway to progress on diversity and inclusion often involves friction and resistance to change
- Clerk Hannaford has requested four specific actions, with particular emphasis on updating organizational codes of conduct and embedding consequential accountability for Call to Action progress
- The presentation acknowledges that no magic solutions exist for these complex challenges, but open dialogue is essential for progress
- Values and ethics discussions must continue because what makes public service special can get lost in what makes it difficult
Actionable Advice
- Engage in open and honest discussions about values and ethics challenges rather than avoiding difficult conversations
- Push for greater transparency about how institutional systems work to build trust
- Advocate for your views while maintaining good faith in your professional role
- Seek clarity on how the values and ethics code is meant to be used as guidance rather than as a disciplinary weapon
- Challenge entrenched structures and processes that impede progress on diversity and inclusion initiatives
- Ensure artificial intelligence and technology implementations include proper consideration of public interest and values
- Demand accountability measures that apply equally across all levels of government, not just to public servants
- Read "The Responsible Public Servant" book by Kernaghan and Lanford for comprehensive guidance on acting in the public interest
- Contact Dr. Stedman for a link to "The Responsible Public Servant" if interested in accessing this resource
- Review Dr. Rachel Zeller's report as another perspective on public service challenges beyond the Deputy Minister's report
- Participate actively in values and ethics discussions within your organization
- Focus on making values and ethics frameworks useful and practical rather than performative
- Consider both upward accountability to political processes and downward accountability to citizens in your decision-making
- Work to embed consequential accountability measures for making progress on Call to Action initiatives